The Adventures of Asta and Tato-san (and Yuno)
by IAmStoryteller
Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin. A Birthday Gift for ReawakenedClam
1. Origin: Tato-san

Yuno hated Tato-san. It was all Sister Lily's fault.

Four-year-old Yuno pouted as he scowled at the stupid thing in Asta's grubby hands. Asta was practically vibrating with joy when he opened the birthday present from Sister and Father Orsi. While Yuno got a hand-me-down sweater for his present, because he tended to like the warm sweaters for autumn and winter, Asta got a tato.

It wasn't a real tato but a rock that looked like a tato.

Leave it to Sister Lily to be amazing and creative as usual. They didn't have a lot of money so new gifts were impossible to get for him or Asta. Asta didn't ever want anything, except cuddles or go exploring in the woods. And it made it impossible find a gift for him. Yuno and Asta traded hand-drawn pictures and hugs for their birthday.

This tato was painted with a face and Asta immediately named it "Tato-san." Asta's big green eyes were shining with happiness.

"Aww, Yuno, don't be jealous," said Father Orsi, picking Yuno up and hugging him. "You're still Asta's favorite person."

"'m not," grumbled Yuno.

Father Orsi laughed and said, "Asta, introduce Yuno to your new friend." Father Orsi placed Yuno right next to Yuno.

Asta bounced up and down and excitedly yelled, "Th' Tato-san! Love Tato-san!"

Yuno continued to scowl. "Ok."

Asta took one of his hands off of Tato-san and use it to touch Yuno's face where he was scowling. "'mile, 'mile, Yuno! Pretty aww. 'mile!"

Yuno smiled. "Asta."

"Love you, Yuno," said Asta, smiling widely. "Play out'ide?" He asked that to the two adults, who were busy cooing and talking about how cute they were being. Sister Lily and Father Orsi nodded their permission. Asta grabbed Yuno's hand and pulled him.

And Yuno followed, even if Tato-san came with them, because Asta loved Yuno the best.


	2. Asta and Tato-san

Today, Yuno didn't feel like playing outside, so Asta left Yuno with Sister Lily to go on adventuring in the forest. He didn't exactly tell Sister or Father that he was going into the forest because he was too young, but as long as he was back before the sun went down, it'd be okay.

Asta wouldn't be lonely without Yuno because he had Tato-san. Tato-san was his new favorite thing for the last few months. Asta never really wanted anything because he had everything he wanted, except maybe magic. Tato-san didn't talk back but listened to Asta.

Asta carried Tato-san in his hand, so that his face could see what Asta saw. "Imma goo' mag'c Th' be Wi'ard King!" He talked about his new dream with Tato-san. From all the bedtime stories that Sister Lily and Father Orsi told him and Yuno, Asta knew that he wanted to get the best magic and be the Wizard King to take care of everybody! Yuno already had some inklings of having a wind magic affinity, but Asta didn't yet. It was okay because he was still little.

Tato-san never answered, but in Asta's head, Tato-san believed in Asta.

"Th', th' marry Yuno! Yuno don't know, but Imma!"

Asta and Tato-san walked through the forest (the same one he'd continue to train in, relentlessly in the coming years, but he didn't know that yet). It was not quite spring yet, but not still winter. Asta liked being outside a lot.

Eventually, he came to a small stream to sit down. He placed Tato-san against the tree, so Tato-san was able to sit too. Asta grinned.

He began his pushup exercises with Tato-san cheering him on from the sidelines. Asta found out that doing exercises helped him calm down enough to be good inside at nighttime. "One, Two, Th'ee…uh…"

Tato-san stared from Tato-san's spot by the tree.

Asta really only knew the three numbers, so he kept repeating them over and over again until his arms burned from the exercise. He flipped over and laid on the ground, arms feeling like noodles.

"Tato-san, Tato-san, love Tato-san. Tato-san, my friend. Love Tato-san," sang Asta, horribly off-key. He sighed. "'m hungry." He held his belly. It was time to wander off home.

Sometime later, Sister Lily and Yuno had lunch waiting for Asta when he returned. Sister Lily scolded Asta for running off too far again, but Asta didn't take it to heart, he knew that she worried. Instead of complaining, all he said was, "Imma home! Tato-san home!"

"Welcome home, Asta," mumbled Yuno. "…and Tato-san."

Asta grinned.


	3. Goodbye, Tato-san!

Today was Remembrance Day. It meant that there were a lot more people in the town, since the big skeleton of the demon right that loomed over Hage Village was a big draw for surrounding villages. Yuno and Asta were outside. Asta, carrying Tato-san, and Yuno were trying not to be underfoot of Sister Lily and Father Orsi, so they were playing near the secondary town well.

While Yuno drew in the dirt with sticks, Asta told him a story. Asta told the best stories, just like Sister Lily.

"And th' when Imma Wizard King, we eat yummy food all th' time," said Asta, cheerfully. He and Asta were almost six. Tato-san being with them for almost two years now. "Tato-san thinks it's a goo' idea too!"

Yuno nodded and softly said, "I can come with you?"

"O'course, Yuno! We stay," said Asta, putting Tato-san on the ground, to give Yuno a hug. "Whatsit Sista Lily says, together forever!"

Yuno pushed down tears. He didn't want to cry again. Asta would never leave him behind, he should have known better.

"Oi, who are you losers?"

Asta and Yuno separated and looked at the newcomers. They were much older boys, maybe 10. Yuno felt the panic in his chest and the tears threatened to flow because the older boys were making means faces at them. Brave Asta stepped forward.

"Hi! I'm Asta. This Yuno. We live in Hage," said Asta, smiling.

One of the boys picked up Tato-san from his carefully placed perch against the fence where Asta put Tato-san moments ago. "You have a pet rock? Wow, you really are dirt poor!"

Asta grew indignant immediately. "Not a rock. Tato-san!" Yuno covered his ears as the boys jeered at him and Asta. Yuno was already sniffling, which he knew would make Asta even angrier. Asta didn't like when Yuno cried. "Give Tato-san back! Leave us 'lone!"

"Wow, what whiny babies. I hate coming to this village every year," said another of the boys, grabbing Tato-san and staring at it for a moment. Mean older boy walked over to the well and dropped Tato-san in! "Losers."

Asta screamed.

Yuno knew Asta was loud, always had been, but this was angry loud. Asta rushed to the well. Since Yuno knew Asta so well, Yuno rushed over with Asta to grab him before Asta jumped into the well! The older boys were still laughing.

Asta growled and ripped himself away from Yuno and went to attack the older boys. Yuno only watched in horror.

But thankfully, it was Sister Lily to the rescue, picking up Asta expertly before he attempted to tackle the brutes.

"What in heaven's name is going on here?!"

The older boys froze.

"Sister Lily," cried Yuno. "These boys threw Tato-san in the well." Asta was still growling and being very angry in Sister Lily's arms.

After getting a right scolding from Sister Lily, the boys apologized and shuffled off shamefaced for bullying two five-year-olds. Asta was calmed down by them, but now he was sniffling and it made Yuno cry.

"Oh, boys," said Sister Lily, sighing, getting her grimoire out to use her water magic to fetch Tato-san.

Or what was left of Tato-san.

The drop cracked Tato-san nearly in half, the paint was wiped off, and it just looked like a regular rock. Asta cried.

"Tato-san dead!"

And so, Asta cried for two days inside on their bed. Yuno was there, giving Asta cuddles and having a blanket swaddle him.

"S'okay, Asta, s'okay," Yuno would whisper.

"Dead, my Tato-san isa dead," Asta would cry back.

It made Yuno cry too.

Sister Lily and Father Orsi were like God's soldiers. The boys who had bullied Yuno and Asta had another talking to and their parents were informed. Father Orsi tried to repair Tato-san, which only made it worse. And then, the adults tried to replace Tato-san, which only made Asta cry harder.

Eventually, Asta stopped crying and said on the third morning after Tato-san's death, "We needa funeral for Tato-san, Yuno."

Yuno only agreed because he knew it was something Asta wanted to do.

Sister Lily and Father Orsi thought it was a splendid idea. Father dug a hole in their garden, Sister Lily made a cloth bag so they can place Tato-san in it. So it was Yuno, Asta, the littler kids, Sister Lily and Father Orsi out in the garden that afternoon, sun shining brightly.

Sister Lily gently placed the cloth bag that contained Tato-san in the hole. Father Orsi said a brief prayer and called Asta to talk.

Asta stood in front of their family and said, "Tato-san was my friend. I love Tato-san forever. I'm gonna miss Tato-san lots." Yuno went over to hug Asta, so he wouldn't cry again.

Father Orsi officially buried Tato-san and the group turned inside for dinner. Father even sprung to have tatoes and bread today.

It was a sad day for Asta.

And it was why Yuno knew that Asta didn't like birthday presents anymore.

Asta hadn't want for anything after Tato-san's death, he told Yuno.

"I 'ave you. I 'ave Sister and Father and the little ones. S'okay."


	4. Remembering Tato-san

Yuno grumbled as he landed off of his broom on the front of lawn of the Black Bulls' base. On his right shoulder, Bell was yammering away as usual, asking him for dates and alone time which he brushed off easily enough. He was eighteen years old, after all and Bell had been at his side for two years. In his left hand, he held a canvas bag with Asta's birthday present in it.

As always, Yuno never knew what to get Asta for their shared birthday. Asta was notoriously difficult to gift anything. Even his friends in the Black Bulls, and the other Magic Knight squads, were always struggling to come up with good gift ideas for Asta. This year, Yuno had an idea.

An idea that was slightly embarrassing, but he knew that Asta would cry and be grateful enough to put it on his room wall. The only artists he knew were in the Azure Deer and Rill was a regular training partner to Yuno (because Rill was ridiculously powerful, even if it was strange). Rill, at first, didn't want to do the commission that Yuno was offering, almost pawning it off on Rill's girlfriend, but then Yuno told Rill the story of Tato-san.

After Rill cried for a few minutes, he agreed to do a canvas painting for Yuno to gift to Asta. Of course, Rill also asked if Yuno was asking Asta to marry him anytime soon, so Rill got a razor wind gust to the face via Bell for the comment. Needless to say, Rill did a fantastic job and now all Yuno had to do was give the gift to Asta.

Yuno already heard the rambunctiousness of the Black Bulls' base, especially since it was Asta's birthday and no doubt, the squad was already partying in honor of Asta.

He just opened the door, because the Black Bulls never locked it, and Asta immediately spotted him. Asta jumped out of his seat and rushed over to Yuno.

"Happy birthday, you handsome jerk," cheered Asta, grinning. "Hiya, Bell!"

"Asta," said Yuno, nodding. "Happy birthday. Here." Yuno handed Asta the canvas bag. Asta's eyes went wide, almost comically.

"Ah! I told you no presents, Yuno!"

"Shut up, stupid and just open it," said Yuno, rolling his eyes.

Asta carefully opened the bag and pulled out the canvas painting. The ash-blond anti-magic hero stared at the painting, as the canvas carrying bag fell to the ground. Asta's eyes immediately got watery, his lips trembled as he stared at the painting.

"Asta?"

Asta cried real tears and said, "Geez, Yuno, I can't believe you remembered."

"Of course, I do," said Yuno, easily. Asta gently placed the painting off to the side and launched himself at Yuno. Asta gave Yuno a big hug. "Glad you liked it."

"I love it, jerk-face," said Asta, still crying a bit. "And I love you too!"

Yuno's face burned, but he was rather pleased to hear those words again after so long.

The painting later hung in Asta's room just above his desk. The painting was one of Hage Village and by the Church was a child Asta, a child Yuno, the rest of their family, and Tato-san resting proudly in child Asta's hands.

It was the best gift ever.


End file.
